McLaren has lodged a protest regarding the results of qualifying for the Austrian GP in an effort to get Oscar Piastri’s track limits penalty rescinded. The Australian was deemed to have run off the track at Turn 6 on his final run in Q3.
Losing his time dropped him from third to seventh in the final results, and promoted George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
McLaren believes that the evidence that Piastri broke the track limits rules was not clear-cut.
“We lodged a protest, which has been acknowledged,” said team boss Andrea Stella when asked what steps the team had taken.
“But it has not been actioned yet because we want to have the possibility to continue the conversation. Our approach to racing is we don’t want what we don’t deserve.
“But when the penalty is so harsh, then I think in the interest of sport – it’s not in the interest of McLaren – there needs to be clear evidence.
“We have done the next formal step. If this has not been somehow actioned in terms of follow-up and hearing for the protest, maybe there’s some discussion ongoing. This one I can, I cannot say, the ball is not in our territory right now.”
McLaren not convinced that Piastri exceeded track limits
Stella says McLaren believes the evidence does not prove that Piastri was off track.
He also recalled a clarification that arose at last year’s US GP, which stated that the evidence used has to be consistent and applicable to all cars.
“We have sought clarification,” said Stella. “In particular, we wanted to look at the evidence whereby the car was beyond the track limits, beyond any reasonable doubt. I cannot say that the beyond the reasonable doubt is satisfied.
“There’s a couple of principles. One is that the system used needs to have adequate resolution, and the second one is that the methodology used for one car needs to be applicable to all cars.
“Like if you use an helicopter view for a car, you need to use the helicopter view and it needs to be available for all cars.
“We are normally very supportive of FIA. We always recognise that everyone is trying their best. But in this case, we couldn’t agree that the car is beyond the track limit, beyond any reasonable doubt, and satisfying the two conditions I said before. So the discussion is still ongoing.”
Stella stressed that McLaren will accept any penalty where there is no doubt: “We had a case last year in Qatar when Lando was spotted beyond the track limits by the helicopter view and as clear resolution and accuracy, the car is outside, no point, thank you very much, and we move forward.
“But in this case, it’s just everything blurred, and affected by the shadow. There’s quite a lot to come here, compete, put together qualifying laps, and when the penalty is so severe, like having the lap deleted, then we need to make sure that the penalty enforced is enforced beyond any reasonable doubt.”
